Soni Razdan with her daughter and Alia Bhatt at the screening of the film No Fathers in Kashmir in Mumbai.(IANS)

Actor Alia Bhatt’s mother, Soni Razdan, has seemingly responded to allegations made by Kangana Ranaut’s sister Rangoli Chandel, that she has no right to discuss Indian politics because she isn’t a citizen of the country. She questioned Kangana’s agenda, and said that it is because of Mahesh Bhatt that she got her big break in Bollywood.

Taking to Twitter, Soni wrote that she is a human being first, and then a citizen. She wrote, “Urging people to vote against hate has nothing to do with citizenship and everything to do with being a human being. We are all human beings first and citizens of the world we live in. Secularism and democratic principles are values and it’s those that I stand for. #VoteOutHate.”

Urging people to vote against hate has nothing to do with citizenship and everything to do with being a human being. We are all human beings first and citizens of the world we live in. Secularism and democratic principles are values and it’s those that I stand for. #VoteOutHate

I do actually. My father is Indian. Lived in India since I was 3 months old. Pay taxes. Hold an Overseas Citizen of India card. If my hard earned income is good enough to be used to better this nation then I have a right to voice my opinions too. #VoteOutHatehttps://t.co/pizCzuTJEQ

Reacting directly to a comment by a Twitter user, in which they wrote, “Get lost British citizen ...u have no place in India to preach,” Soni wrote back, “I do actually. My father is Indian. Lived in India since I was 3 months old. Pay taxes. Hold an Overseas Citizen of India card. If my hard earned income is good enough to be used to better this nation then I have a right to voice my opinions too. #VoteOutHate.”

On Tuesday, Kangana’s sister Rangoli had attacked Soni and Alia, who are both British citizens and therefore not able to vote in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. She had written on Twitter, “These non Indians who are living off this land, using and abusing its people and its resources, lying about intolerance and spreading hatred, time to think about their agenda and not to get carried away with their provocations.”

Rangoli’s response presumably came after Alia admitted in a recent interview that she would not be able to vote in the elections, because she doesn’t hold an Indian passport, and a tweet by Soni, in which she spoke about mob lynchings.

Kangana has been on an unrelenting offensive against Alia, whom she has accused of being a ‘puppet’ of producer Karan Johar’s and a ‘mediocre’ actor. The one-sided feud began after the release of Kangana’s Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, which Alia allegedly did not help promote on her personal social media, which Kangana had expected, despite Alia being under no obligation to do so.

Alia acknowledged the allegations on Twitter recently, responding to a message from her Highway co-actor, Randeep Hooda. Randeep had written, “Dearest @aliaa08 I’m so glad you are not letting the opinions of very occasional actors and chronic victims affect you and your work .. kudos to you for your continued efforts to outdo yourself.”

In a now deleted tweet, Soni had written that it was her husband who gave Kangana a break in Bollywood, and wondered what her personal agenda was. She’d written, according to Indian Express, “Mahesh Bhatt is the man who has given her a break … she goes on to attack his wife and daughter. Daughter over and over again. What is left to be said then about abusing and hatred I wonder. Apart from character of course. Agenda ? What’s hers … ?”